About Us

The Art School Restaurant is located in the stunning Lantern Room of the Victorian 1888 ‘Home for Destitute Children’ building on Sugnall Street and is merely a stone’s throw away from Hope Street and Liverpool city centre. Hope Street is regarded as one the UK’s best streets and is home to the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, the Everyman Theatre, which won the RIBA Sterling Prize 2014, and Liverpool’s two magnificent cathedrals all in a glorious Georgian setting. The Liverpool Philharmonic is located literally across the road from The Art School. This location is superbly placed for an elegant, fine dining restaurant and bar, the very first of its kind in Liverpool city centre.

This is a true labour of love from Paul Askew. Paul opened The Art School Restaurant as a high end, 50 cover fine dine restaurant & bar in September 2014, and by using only the finest produce and ingredients perfectly accompanied by superb wines and Champagnes, he will be reaching for the stars with the finest that Liverpool has to offer..

Paul Askew

Paul Askew, Chef Patron of The Art School Restaurant, is one of the North West’s most popular Chefs. A stalwart of the hospitality industry, Paul champions seasonal and local ingredients whilst supporting artisan producers from across the U.K.

Paul’s restaurant, the critically acclaimed, Art School Restaurant, is listed in the 2018 Harden’s Top 100 Best UK Restaurants, having been awarded “Taste of England” at the 2017 Visit England Awards and appeared in 2017 Sunday Times Top 100 Restaurants, the first restaurant in Liverpool to make the list. 2018 has also seen The Art School named in the Top 10 UK Restaurants for Vegan Fine Dining by Peta UK. It has also received critical acclaim from the Michelin, Good Food and AA guides.

Paul has a passion and unmatched level of commitment in developing the next generation of culinary talent. For over three decades Paul has worked with apprentice and trainee chefs, investing time away from the pass in mentoring, nurturing and improving their skills to succeed in the industry. In 2017 Paul released his debut book, “Onwards and Upwards” part autobiographical, documenting his early years in the industry and the experiences that shaped him. Part gastronomic visual masterpiece, with 40 stunning dishes from The Art School Restaurant.

Paul is a fellow of The Royal Academy of Culinary Arts, and joint Chair of the Northern Branch, having been invited to join the Academy by his industry peers. In 2018 Paul was invited to join the judging panel for the National Chef of the Year and was invested with the cape and cap of the order of Le Grand Conseil du vin de Bordeaux.

Paul made his national television debut in 2017, appearing as a guest chef on BBC1’s Saturday Kitchen with Martine McCutcheon, Donal Skehan and fellow Chef Nigel Howarth. Paul competed in the North West heats of series 13 of The Great British Menu, scoring the perfect 10 for his main course from judge, and two starred Michelin Chef, Daniel Clifford, on his way to reaching the regional final.

In 2018 he made his Sunday Brunch debut with close friend Simon Rimmer and will appear as the professional chef on the Celebrity Masterchef series to commemorate 40 years of the Antiques Roadshow in late Summer 2018 having been chosen to set the semi-final challenge.

Paul was invested with the cape and cap of the order of Le Grand Conseil du vin de Bordeaux, the first British chef to do so and has this year has also become Chef Ambassador for Estrella Damm and Attilus Caviar.

He is a member of the UK’s Tourism Industry Council and joint Chair of Liverpool’s newly formed Hospitality Association.